12 Bit Photo
Bark Growth
Posted by Twelvebit (Victoria, United States) on 30 July 2008 in Plant & Nature.
Macro Filter Test 4
This image, among others, taken of the growth on this tree bark, convinced me that available light shots are not going to work --at least with the +10 filter and focal length producing the kind of magnification seen here. This growth is about 1/8 inch across, or about 2.5 mm. I was pleased with the magnification but not the sharpness and detail of the subject. The distortion the +10 filter produces is also visible here, particularly around the edges. I attribute this to the quality of the filter --since it cost about $6-- but perhaps even a more expensive filter would yield unsatisfactory results with this combination of factors.
I've got some more images to show you but I've decided that my next step is to buy some more expensive filters for comparison. MS suggested a "bellows," which I take to be "extension tubes." One of the reasons I wanted to try the filters is to minimize lens changes. The other is that a cheap set of extension tubes runs about $200. This cheap filter set was $25. The next most expensive set is $40. Of course, the extension tubes have the advantage of working with any lens, whereas these filters only work on lenses with the same filter diameter.
Nikon D40
1/80 second
F/16.0
ISO 800
202 mm (35mm equiv.)